Don't Wear a Dead Man's Shoes: Get Your Own

The Shoes are not For You


"The shoes are not for you." That statement is the foundation of an old episode of The Dark Side which I saw recently, and I had to write about it.



It's about a master shoe maker with a clientele of the rich, famous and talented, an apprentice who lusts after the "good life" of others and the magical shoes which keep clients coming back to the modest shoe maker's shop. 

Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own. Harold Coffin

The apprentice is in his twenties, and begs his master to make him a pair of his famous shoes and is told the shoes are not for you. He also advises him to focus on the fiance who loves him; it's the only thing the young man has going for him. 

At no time does it occur to the apprentice to ask his master why the shoes are not for him. The answer to which is obvious; he lacks the prosperity consciousness essential for financial success.

He dies foolishly wearing a dead man's shoes because of his envy. 


The Apprentice's Escapade

One day, the apprentice sneaks into the back room after his boss is gone and tries on a pair of shoes. He is amazed by his transformation. In the mirror he is dashing and handsome, very well-dressed and obviously a man of means.

Envy eats nothing but its own heart. German Proverb

So he goes out for a night on the town and loves rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. It's the life he always dreamed of.


He daydreams afterwards about the rich lifestyle and can't wait to do it again. That is how he really wants to live. He is discovered and warned off about wearing clients shoes. 

Keep yourselves far from envy; it eateth up and taketh away good actions, like as fire eateth up and burneth wood. Muhammad

The young man doesn't see the harm in it though and does it again. My response would have been to fire his arse on the spot for his lack of professionalism!


Envy is a Poisoned Cup

Now I ask you, why would anyone moon about all day dreaming and envying the lifestyle of others? That makes no sense to me but it's what the apprentice does all day long. 

The wealthy work for their money and they deserve to have it. That's what prosperity consciousness is all about.  Some are born into such families and others have to overcome their mental programming of limitation to attain their current level of prosperity consciousness. Don't ever begrudge them.

Most people think they want more money than they really do. And the settle for a lot less than they could get.  Earl Nightingale

The rich "know" they deserve their wealth and as Bob Proctor says in You Were Born Rich, they are comfortable with money which is why money is attracted to them.

When you know what you want in life, focus on it. The more attention you give it, the clearer the objective becomes. Goals, ideas and plans follow. When that happens, act immediately. There will never be a "right time"

Envy is an insult to oneself. Yevgeny Yevtushenko

The persistence with which you focus on what you want attracts the people, tools and resources you need to ensure your success. That is the way it works. 

Envy is for stupid people; it destroys lives. Envy is a train wreck waiting to happen so get your mind right!


The Shoe Maker, the Final Nail and the Magic Words

Unbeknownst to the young apprentice, it's not the shoes which keep the rich coming back to the shoe maker's shop but the quality of the shoe maker. 

You see, with every pair of shoes he creates, he imbues the final nail in the shoe heels with positive values based on the person's particular talent or success.

A really great talent finds its happiness in execution. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Not only do the shoes fit perfectly, they also enhance the person's image of themself in the mirror. What he or she sees is what they portray.

The Last Act of the Envious Apprentice

There was just one last pair Mr Envious wanted to try; it was the shoes of their richest client. He just had to try them on before the man's assistant collected them.  

Unfortunately for the young man who had sneaked into the back room to try on the shoes - the owner had died the previous evening and the shoes were for his funeral.

The consequences of our actions are so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed. J.K. Rowling

Wearing the dead man's shoes was the apprentice's last act; he assumed the defunct's qualities which were non-existent and died instantly. And so ended the episode.

As I'm sure you know, the dead have no qualities - they are gone - only the living retain memories of the dead.

Moral of the Story

Don't wear a dead man's shoes; get your own. They could be too big, too small or just plain no good. Figure out what you want and focus on that. 

Stoke that fire of burning desire with your imagination until the ideas start coming. Your passion will drive you forward to attain the success you want and deserve.

Pity the man who inherits a million and isn't a millionaire.  Here's what would be pitiful, if your income grew and you didn't. Jim Rohn

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